The invention relates generally to an apparatus and method to dissipate heat from electronic devices.
Various heat dissipation techniques have been utilized to remove heat generated by electronic devices in a system, such as a computer system. Such electronic devices, including for example integrated circuit devices, may be relatively dense and may operate at relatively high speeds. To prevent over-heating of these devices, a heat dissipation apparatus may be included in the system to maintain the temperature of one or more zones in the system below target temperature levels.
Both active and passive cooling devices have been implemented in systems. An active cooling device may include fans, heat exchangers, or other elements that are activated to remove heat from the system. Passive cooling devices, however, rely on heat sinks or other passive elements to remove heat from attached electronic devices. For example, high-speed microprocessors may be attached to dedicated heat sinks. In some systems, a combination of both active and passive cooling techniques may be implemented.
With the many features typically expected of systems such as computers, a large number of electronic devices may be packed into a system. This is true also of portable systems, including mobile or notebook computers, in which processing and storage capabilities have increased while their sizes have decreased. The thicknesses of such portable systems have increasingly been reduced. When components are packed into the tight spacing of a typical portable system, an active cooling technique may not be feasible due to lack of space for adequate air flow to certain parts of the system. In addition, active cooling techniques, such as fans, employ a power source for operation, which increases power consumption, which may be undesirable in a portable system that is battery-operated.
Thus, to adequately remove heat from high performance systems, improved heat dissipation techniques are needed.